Born in Moscow, Russia, Elena Bennett received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in piano performance from the Russian Academy of Music, recognized worldwide as one of the premier conservatories in Russia.

In addition to working with many internationally recognized professors, she has studied with Lev Naumov, chief assistant to the world famous Russian pianist and teacher Heinrich Neuhaus, whose students included Svyatoslav Richter

Elena Bennett is a full time Instructor of piano and a faculty member in the Belmont University School of Music since 2000. Bennett teaches class piano, applied piano, and collaborative piano and serves as a pianist for the School of Music’s largest ensemble, Oratorio, Christmas at Belmont, and the President’s Concert. Bennett serves as Class Piano Coordinator and Accompanist Coordinator in the School of Music. Bennett also serves as an academic advisor in the School of Music and a former Faculty Senator-at-Large.

Bennett regularly performs in collaborative and solo recitals throughout the Southeast, including numerous appearances with the Nashville Ballet, Nashville Symphony, including their Spring 2012 performance in Carnegie Hall, Nashville Opera, Belmont Faculty Concert Series, Belmont Camerata, Vanderbilt and Sewanee Universities, Frist Museum for the Visual Arts, Tennessee State Museum, and recitals for Leadership Music. Many of her performances have been broadcast on Nashville Public Television. Bennett serves as a collaborative pianist for the National Orpheus Competition and Metropolitan Opera auditions. She is also an accomplished television producer. Her accolades include creation of the first broadcast directory for Russia, an American Bible Society documentary, a film on the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, and production credits with Russian National Television “Ostankino,” where she was the producer of numerous musical and variety shows and entertainment news.